


Sugar Softens Any Blow

by slapbrucewayne



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Dad Shiro, F/M, adopted pidge, baking au kinda, liberal swearing cause pidge, slow burn shallura
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-07-29 18:43:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7695238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slapbrucewayne/pseuds/slapbrucewayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pidge can’t cook. Their legal guardian, Shiro, can. With more than just grades on the line, can they keep the rouse up?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a post by 667-darkavenue on tumblr.

“Do you have everything you need?” Shiro worried as parked at the curb of Voltron High.

“You put two extra packs of blue ballpoint pens in my backpack this morning. I saw you,” Pidge remarked as they looked at their unfortunately over concerned guardian in the rearview mirror. “By the way, I’m starting high school if you haven’t noticed. So can I sit in the front seat now?”

Shiro rolled his eyes and held his hand level with his shoulder. “You must be this tall to sit in the front seat.”

“I’ve tried standing on all the fucks I give to get a boost, but there are simply not enough.”

“Ha ha, very funny.” Shiro turned around to look his adopted child. “But seriously, please at least get through the first week without blowing anything up.”

“I’m not going to make any promises, but I’m not going to actively try either.” Pidge shrugged their back pack on and met Shiro’s gaze. “See you here at two?”

The older of the two nodded his affirmative. “On the dot. Now stop procrastinating and get out, kid. This is a no parking zone and I left cupcakes in the oven.”

Pidge shoved the door open and groaned, “Way to ruin a moment, dude.”

“I don’t think it’s a moment if we’re talking about blowing stuff up.”

“Those are the best kinds of moments,” the brunette justified as they closed the door. They were on their own now, and wow, high school seemed like a whole different beast up close. With their class schedule gripped tightly in their hand, Pidge sent a mental prayer to anything above that today would not end up a disaster.

***

It was during the last class of the day that Pidge realized that no organized religion could actually help them at this point. Due to signing up for high school so late in summer because of getting adopted, Pidge was forced to take the only elective still accepting students: home economics. It sounded fine in theory but they realized they were well and truly screwed when the teacher at the head of the room went over the syllabus. As Mr. Coran, as he had so delightfully introduced himself at the beginning of class, started prattling on about the cooking unit, Pidge resisted the urge to smack their head against their table.

Luckily, the large boy Pidge shared her table with showed mercy, “Um, you look like you’re about to break in two. You okay?”

The bespectacled teenager looked over as calmly as possible at their partner, actually taking in his appearance for the first time. The green vest and orange headband set off a Nerd Alert in Pidge’s head. They didn’t say anything about that due to the fact that the kid looked big enough to square up against Shiro. After seeing the genuine concern in his eyes, Pidge decided not to insult him because the guy looked like he pet kittens in his spare time out of the kindness of his heart.

Pidge sat a little straighter and lied straight through their teeth, “I’m fine.” That was not true at all. Truthfully, Pidge couldn’t cook for shit. They tried to make a grilled cheese the first week living with Shiro and ended up setting the microwave on fire somehow. Not their proudest moment, but clearly the worst was yet to come.

They pulled out their phone under the table and began furiously texting Shiro.

_so i know you made me promise…but disaster is coming_

**_What are you talking about???_ **

_i have to cook and i might accidentally kill everyone around me, hope you have bail money_

**_You’re being over dramatic_ **

_yes, this coming from the guy who cried when he saw how good he looked with winged eyeliner_

**_tHAT WAS ONE TIME PIDGE_ **

_whatever you say dude_

_but seriously you gotta help me_

_you gotta teach me enough to look like i know what i’m doing_

**_Or you could pay attention in class and try to actually improve your skill_ **

**_I just reread that to myself and I’m sorry I thought that was a possibility_ **

_so you’ll help?_

**_I’ll help._ **

The brunette looked up as someone above them cleared their throat.

Mr. Coran was looking down at them disappointedly with his hand held out for their phone. “Your parent or guardian can pick this up at the end of the day from the Principal Allura’s office.”

Pidge relinquished the device, then let their head hit the cold table top as they let out a small and defeated, “Shit.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New friendships and new beginnings are blossoming at Voltron High.

“You seriously got in trouble on the first day. Within the first ten minutes of class even! Is that some kind of record?” a voice questioned as soon as Mr. Coran let the students begin talking amongst themselves to get to know each other. 

Pidge craned their neck to look at the table behind them. There were two boys sitting there: one decked out in enough red and black and attitude to belong in a Hot Topic and another in an olive, hooded jacket staring at Pidge hard enough to become irksome. It took one shot to guess who said that. Before the pint-sized genius could open their mouth to retort, their table partner spoke up for them.

“Dude… really? That’s the first thing you say to somebody you’ve just met?” The larger teen extended his hand in greeting with an air of kindness that Pidge was happy to reciprocate. “I’m Hunk. Mr. McRude is named Lance, but at this point he answers to anything a pretty girl calls him too.”

Lance raised a single finger into the air to correct his friend, “Also pretty guys, if we’re being honest.”

Lance’s table partner broke his silence and let his eyes flick between the two other guys. “I take it you two know each other?”

“Hell yeah! We grew up on the same street. Hunk accidentally broke my nose by modifying a pitching machine to go twice as fast and has been apologizing ever since.” Lance reached across his table to clap Hunk on the shoulder with a grin. He pulled back and gave his table partner a quick evaluating look. “We didn’t catch your name though.”

“Keith. Keith Kogane.”

Pidge leaned back in their chair to better see how the two table mates were looking at each other. They gave it two months before the boys started making out over a bowl of cookie dough. Upon Lance immediately opening his mouth to respond, Pidge amended their prediction to three months.

“You’re seriously pulling a James Bond? Between speaking, like, five words and the mullet, you’re really making yourself out as a man of mystery. Are you gonna tell us how you like your martinis next?”

Hunk pressed his palm to his forehead and quietly lamented, “Can’t you ever make friends like a normal person?”

Pidge snickered at their table mate and decided to get Hunk in on the bet later. Nothing like a little healthy gambling between new friends.

“I’m Pidge, by the way.”

“Literally, what kind of name is that?” Lance asked confusedly.

 “It’s kind of name I have,” Pidge shot back with a smirk as the bell to dismiss class rang. They slipped out of the class with their backpack as the olive skinned teen gaped at their retreating form.

Maybe home economics wouldn’t be that bad after all.

 

***

 

By far, the most humiliating part of Pidge’s day was having to call Shiro from a school phone in the office to explain how they got in trouble on the first day.

“So…yeah… that’s how my phone got taken away,” Pidge finished lamely. “Now you have to come in and talk to the principal to get it back.”

Shiro sighed into his cell phone at home, looking down at the cupcakes he had finished baking that morning. “Do you think your principal accepts bribes?”

 

***

 

Half an hour later, Shiro was dressed up like a respectable parent in a button down shirt and jeans, gripping a small box of four cupcakes and waiting beside Pidge to be called into the principal’s office. As went to rub his nose with his prosthetic hand to stave off his developing headache he realized he never took his glasses off. _Nerdy dad it is_ , Shiro thought to himself.

“At least I didn’t blow anything up,” Pidge said quietly.

“The year is still young, kiddo,” Shiro smiled to let Pidge know he wasn’t mad. To be quite honest, he couldn’t be that mad when he was the one Pidge was texting in the first place.

The mousy secretary chose that moment to wave the duo into Principal Allura’s office.

 Upon entering, the first thing Pidge noticed was the abundance of plants covering every available surface in the office, most of which were flowers.

The first thing Shiro noticed was the striking good looks of Pidge’s principal. Her hair was so light it could almost be considered white in the light streaming inform the window. The contrast of light hair and blue eyes against tanned skin made Shiro stop thinking about anything else for a complete ten seconds. He pulled himself back to reality as Pidge took one of two seats in front of the principal’s desk

As he composed himself he extended his right hand to Principal Allura to introduce himself, “I’m Pidge’s guardian, Takashi Shirogane. Please call me Shiro.”

Allura shook his hand and waited for him to settle into his seat before speaking. “Shiro, yes. Now, as you must have read in our school handbook, we have a strict no-phone policy while classes are in session.”

Pidge and Shiro shared a knowing gaze. They were both perfectly aware that the handbook was currently shoved under the wobbly leg of their dining table without ever having been read. Thankfully, the principal continued speaking without waiting for either of the pair to answer.

“As this was the first altercation,” Principal Allura looked at Pidge directly, “you will be let off with a warning.”

 Shiro released a small sigh of relief before Allura continued on once again. “But as this is only the first day, I truly hope this was only a singular event and will not be a prediction for any future unruly behaviors to come.”

 Pidge hid their grimace in the large collar of their shirt, hoping to only look guilty for the current incident and not the many that would mostly likely follow in the future.

“It won’t happen again, ma’am,” Shiro stated with all the prim and properness that was instilled in him through his past military career. “Now if you don’t mind, we have to be on our way home so Pidge can finish their homework before dinner.”

Allura handed Pidge back their phone and seemed to loosen up with a genuine smile now that the formalities were over. “It was nice to meet the both of you. If you’re interested, Shiro, there is information for the first PTA meeting on the Upcoming Events board outside my office.”

Shiro nodded as he stood up. “I’ll be sure to check it out. Nice to meet you by the way.”

He ushered Pidge out of the room before he could word vomit to the kind and beautiful woman he was sure to see more of.

They were already out of the room by the time Allura noticed the box of four cupcakes with a note written in spiky script on top of her desk.

_Sorry for the inconvenience –Shiro_

_P.S. Hope you like chocolate_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure: I hurt my wrist the night after the first chapter was uploaded. Typing is currently difficult so updates aren't going to be on any sort of schedule as of now. I'm really sorry, but I'll try to upload as often as I can without messing up my wrist more. Hopefully I should be able to upload every couple of days or so. Thank you so much for understanding and sticking with this fic while it's still young.  
> On a lighter note, Hunk and Lance are both juniors, Keith is a sophomore, and Pidge is very much a freshman. Shiro does have a military background and all of that (including how he came to adopt Pidge) will be explained in later chapters.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a loose plot planned if y'all want more, but this is the first fic I've written in over three years so I'm not insulted if you don't. Have a nice day, where ever you are in the world.  
> I also have a tumblr, also called slapbrucewayne


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